- The Rules Are Different

SUNDAY INSIDER INSIDE FLORIDA

OVERRULING LEGISLATIVE staffers, Senate President Bob Crawford has ap proved a newsletter by Sen. Robert Casas, R-Hialeah, even though it violated the rules. Casas crammed six photos of himself into his newsletter. Senate rules prohibit more than three. Casas played footsie with another rule prohibiting laudatory comments if they are purely political. His newsletter quotes seven program officials, political types and lobbyists who praise his work in the Legislature. Staffers refused to pay $5,575 for 27,000 copies of Casas' newsletter because it had not received prior approval. But Crawford's press aide, Michelle McLawhorn, said the president approved it because Casas did not understand the rules. Casas had only $3,289 in his discretionary account to pay for the newsletter. No problem. ''He'll have to pay for the rest, but it can come out of his office account,'' McLawhorn said.